Chair



Feb. 20, 1934. l, R, BRQMAGEM 1,948,200

CHAIR Filed Sept. 4. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 20, 1934. l, R BRQMAGEM 1,948,200

CHAIR Filed Sept. 4, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Parent-ed Fel. zo, i934 13g 48,20!

srarss rarer CHAIR Irl R. Bromagem, Union City, Ind.

Application September 4, 1931. Serial No. 561,232

24 Claims. (Cl. 155-86) The present invention relates to chairs and it will be seen that I have provided a plurality more particularly to theater chairs. of standards indicated generally at 10, each of A primary object of the invention is to prosaid standards comprising a pair of parallel upvlde a chair organization which can be shipped standing posts 11 and 12. Each post is provided in knocked-down condition, and which can be with a pair of laterally extending flanges 13, and 60 readily assembled without the use of special tools the upper ends of said posts are connected by and in any desired spacing and in any desired atop cross member 14, said member being formed degree of chair-row curvature. with laterally projecting flanges l5.Y Interme- A further object is to provide a novel comdiate their ends the posts 1l and 12 are conbination of chair supporting standards and chair nected by a stretcher member 16 formed to pro- 55 units adapted to be supported thereby, the stand- Vide an upwardly opening socket 17. It Will be ards and the units being provided with means seen that the standards 10 are entirely indepermitting instantaneous engagement of the pendent of each other and are adapted to be Darts i-to operative position Without the use of set up on the theater floor independently and any tools Whatever. in spaced relation. In Fig. 1 I have shown a 70 Further objects and advantages of the invenplurality of such standards arranged parallel to tion will appear as the description proceeds. each other in a straight line, and in Fig. 2 I

To the accomplishment of the above and rehave shown the standards arranged in converglated objects, the invention may be embodied in ing planes to form a curved row. It Will be the forni illustrated in the accompanying drawobvious that the standards 10 might also be ar- 75 ings, attention being called to the fact that the ranged in diverging planes to form a reversely drawings are illustrative only, and that changes curved row, or that they might be arranged in may be made in the specinc construction illusany desired relation. As illustrated, each standtrated and described, so long as the scope of ard is provided With a front and back foot 18 the appended claims is not violated. through which said standards may be secured s@ Figure 1 is a plan View or" a series of standtO the theater OOr. ards arranged to form a straight-line row, two Each of the seat units adapted to be associated seat units being associated with certain of said with said standards comprises a pair of side standards; plates 19, each of which is formed at its lower Fig. 2 is a plan View oi a series of standend With a tongue 01' 1100K 20 adapted i0 be 35V ards arranged in a curved row, three seat units received within the socket 17 of the stretcher being associated with certain of the standards; member 16 of one of the standards 10. At its Fig. e is a side elevation of a chair constructupper end the plate 19 is formed with a rebent ed in accordance with the present invention; pOOIl 2l adapted D0 TeCeV@ the allge 15 0f the the same being located intermediate the ends cross member 14. Said plate iS formed With 90 of a row; opposite vertical side anges 22 adapted to en- Fg. 4 is a side elevation of a chair constructgg the Opposite llel' Surfaces 0f 1511 flanges ed in accordance With the present invention, 13 0I the posts 11 and 12; AdJ'aCllt its lOWeI the illustrated unit being adapted for use at end the plate 19 may be IJlOVded With a C011- 49 the end of a row; cavo-convex pocket 23 centrally formed With an 95 Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a seat unit alone; aperture receiving one end of a hinge rod 24. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section through a por- Said rod 24 is threaded adjacent its opposite ends tion of a seat unit; for the reception of a pair of concave-convex Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a standard; nuts 25 and 26, the nut 25 engaging the concave .5 8 is a vertical section taken through the surface of the socket23 and the nut 26 engaging 100 standard on the line 8--8 of Fig. 7; the convex surface thereof. It Will be obvious Fig. 9 is a fragmental vertical section of a that the arrangement iS S11-Ch aS t0 DTOVdB Ol portion of the chair illustrated in Fig, 4; adjustment of the pair of plates 197With respect Fig. lf is a iragmental side elevation of a to each other in the manner described and illusdetail. a portion thereof being shown in sectrated in the patent to Adelsperger et al., No. 105 l tion; and 1,769,731, issued July 1st, 1930.

Fig. 11 is a fragmental transverse section, on A seat frame, later to be described, includes an enlarged scale, taken along the line 11-11 a bed 27 to which are secured a plurality of of Fig. 9. clips 28 through which said frame is hingedly Referring more particularly to the drawings, mounted on the rod 24; 110

It is desirable to provide means for improving the appearance of the exposed side of the standard 10 which is located at the end of a chair row. In Figs. 4 and 9 there is illustrated an escutcheon plate 29 adapted to cover such exposed side. The plate 29 is formed along its upper edge with a rebent portion 30 adapted to receive one ofthe flanges 15 of the top cross member 14 of the standard 10. The escutcheon plate is formed intermediate its top and bottom with a downwardly facing hook or tongue 31 adapted to be received in the socket 17 in the same manner as the hook 2O of the plate 19 is there received. The plate 29 is likewise formed with opposite vertical side flanges 32 adapted to engage the inner surfaces of the flanges 13 of the posts 11 and 12, and an adjacent bead 33 for trimming and concealing the vertical edges of the plate 29.

An arm rest 34 is provided on its under face with a track or channel member 35, said member being formed to provide opposite parallel edge grooves 36. Each of the grooves 36 is adapted to engage one of the rebent edges 21 of a seat side plate 19; or one of the grooves 36 of a channel member 35 may engage the rebent edge 21 of a seat side plate 19 while the other groove 36 of said channel member engages the similar rebent edge 30 of an escutcheon plate 29. The arm rest assembly thus serves to clamp either a pair of seat side plates 19, or one seat side plate 19 and one escutcheon plate 29, against upward displacement with relation to, and consequently separation from, one of the standards 10.

The several parts are moved to their clamped together relation by sliding the arm rest 34 endwise over the engaged assembly of standard 10 and plates 19, or plates 19 and 29. To lock the arm rest in its clamping position, the arm rest is provided, adjacent its rear end, with a socket 37 in which is received a coiled spring bearing against the enlarged head of a pin 38 urging the pin toward the position illustrated in Fig. 10. As will be obvious, when the arm rest 34has been forced into the position illustrated in Fig. 10, the pin 38 will project into engagement with the rear face of the post 12 to hold said arm 34 against forward movement with respect to the standard 10. It will be understood that Fig. 9 illustrates the arrangement at the end of a chair row; and that at points intermediate the ends of the chair rows the plate 19 of an adjacent seat unit will occupy the position of the plate 29 in Fig. 9, the tongue 20 of said seat plate 19 being received in the socket 17, and the rebent portion 21 of the plate 19 being clamped to the flange 15 by one of the grooves 36 of the channel member 35.

The seat bed and back are trimmed and finished in any desirable manner, as by padded 'upholstery or otherwise.

The seat side plates 19 are provided, adjacent their lower rear corners, with apertures 39. In each of these apertures is received a stop member comprising a metal strip 40 bent to form an abutment projecting inwardly from the inner surface of the side plate, the outer ends of the strip projecting through the aperture 39 and being bent oppositely in Contact with the outer surface of the plate 19. The ends of the strip may be welded or otherwise suitablyT secured to the side plates, or the stop member may be held in place purely by the resiliency of the metal of the bent strip. The abutments are disposed in the paths of resilient blocks 41 received in suitable sockets secured, in any convenient and well known manner, at the rear edge f the seat frame proper.

Each of the side plates 19 carries a back-supporting bracket 42. Each of said brackets comprises a plate secured to one of the side plates by suitable fastening elements. As illustrated, three such elements are used, including a lower pivot fastening 43 connecting the plates 19 and 42, an intermediate fastening 44 passing through a round hole in one of the plates and an arcuate slot in the` other, and a fastening 45 passing through a round hole in one of the plates and one of a series of arcuately disposed round holes in the other plate. I prefer to employ fastenings in the form of bolts or screws secured in the plate 42 and to have the arcuate slot and the series of arcuately disposed round holes provided in the plate 19, but itis evident that this arrangement may be reversed. The angle of inclination of the socket supporting brackets may be adjusted in an obvious manner.

The workmen, in setting up theater chairs constructed in accordance with the present invention, are not required to handle any heavy or cumbersome parts during the aligning of the chair rows. With the house diagram in hand, the Workmen merely set up series of the independent standards 10, and it will be obvious that the handling of these standards is extremely easy. After the standards have been secured to the floor in properly spaced and aligned relation, the

seat units, each comprising a pair of plates 19, the seat and back sections and their upholstering, may be easily associated with the standards 10. The assembly of the seat units with the standards involves the use of no tools whatever, it being assumed that the seat units have been supplied to the workmen in assembled condition, and that the side plates 19 thereof have been previously adjusted as required by the particular installation by actuation of the nuts 25 and 26. All that is required of the workmen is to slide the seat unit downward between a pair of standards, introducing the tongues or hooks 20 into the sockets 17 of adjacent standards 10. After two adjacent seat units have been mounted, the intermediate arm rest 34 is forced into position by entering the rebent edge portions 21 of adjacent plates 19 into the grooves 36 of the channel member 35 and sliding the arm rest 34 rearwardly until its pin 38 snaps down into the position illustrated in Fig. 10.

It will be appreciated that I have provided a novel combination of a cha-ir unit and a standard adapted to support the same, which may be associated instantaneously and without the use of tools. This capacity of the parts results from the use of the interengageable parts 20 and/or 31, and 17. In certain of the appended claims I have denominated these parts respectively hooks and sockets. It is to be understood that I do not use these terms by way of limitation, but intend them to include within their meaning any male and female interengageable elements provided on chair or escutcheon plates supporting standards.

It is further to be understood that I have shown and described the present invention in one preferred form of embodiment merely for purposes of exempliiication. The invention is capable of embodiment in other and further modified forms, and all such modifications, to the extent that they embody the principles of the invention as pointed out in the appended claims are to be deemed within the scope and purview thereof.

I claim:

l. In combination, a standard comprising a pair of vertical posts, a flanged top cross member, and. a stretcher extending between Said posts interme-diate the endsV thereof and providing an upwardly facing socket, two seat units, each comprising a side plate having a downwardly facing hook receivable in said socket and having a portion located adjacent said iianged cross member, and an arm rest provided on its under surface with a channel, said channel being adapted to engage the portions of both said seat units disposed adjacent said cross member to secure said portions to said cross member.

2. In combination, a standard comprising a pair of vertical posts, a flanged top cross member, and a stretcher extending between said posts intermediate the ends thereof and providing an upwardly facing socket, two seat units, each provided with a downwardly facing hook receivable in said socket, and each provided with a grooved portion receiving a flange of said cross member, and an arm rest provided with a channel slidably engageable with said flange receiving portions of said two seat units to clamp said portions to said cross member.

3. In combination, a standard comprising a j pair of upright posts, each provided with oppositely extending lateral flanges, a top cross member extending between said posts and provided with oppositely extending lateral flanges, and a stretcher extending between said posts intermediate the ends thereof and providing an upwardly facing socket, two seat units, each comprising a side plate provided with a downwardly facing hook receivable in Said socket, each of said side plates being formed, adjacent its upper end,

jwith a rebent portion adapted to receive a flange of said cross member, and an arm rest provided on its under surface with a laterally grooved channel, said arm rest being slidably engageable on said cross member with the grooves of said channel receiving said rebent portions of said sitely extending lateral flanges, a top cross member extending between said posts and provided with oppositely extending lateral anges, and a stretcher extending between said posts intermediate the ends thereof and providing an upwardly facing socket, two seat units, each comprising a side plate provided with a downwardly facing hook receivable in said socket, each of said side plates being formed, adjacent its upper end, with a rebent portion adapted to receive a flange of said cross member, an arm rest provided on its under surface with a laterally grooved channel, said arm rest being slidably engageable on said cross member with the grooves of said channel receiving said rebent portions of said plates to clamp said side plates to said cross member, and a spring-pressed plunger carried by said arm rest and engageable with said cross member, in certain positions of said arm rest, to hold said arm rest against disengagement from said cross member and said side plates.

' 5. In combination, a standard comprising a pair of upright posts, each provided with oppositely extending lateral flanges, a top cross member extending between said posts and provided -with oppositely extending lateral flanges, and a stretcher extending between said posts intermediate the ends thereof and providing an upwardly facing socket, two seat units, each comprising a side plate provided with a downwardly facingV hook receivable in said socket, each of said side plates being formed with a ilange engageable against the inner face of one flange of each of said posts, and further being formed, adjacent its upper end, with a rebent portion adapted to receive a flange of said cross member, and an arm rest provided on its under surface with a laterally grooved channel, said arm rest being slidably engageable on said cross member with the grooves of said channel receiving said rebent portions of said side plates to clamp said side plates to said cross member.

6. In combination, a standard comprising a pair of upright posts, each provided with oppositely extending lateral flanges, a top cross member extending between said posts and provided with oppositely extending lateral flanges, and a stretcher extending between said posts intermediate the ends thereof and providing an upwardly facing socket, a seat unit comprising a side plate provided with a downwardly facing hook receivable in said socket, said plate being formed with a flange engageable against the inner face of one ange of each of said posts, and further being formed, adjacent its upper end, with a rebent portion adapted to receive one flange of said cross member, an escutcheon plate provided with a downwardly facing hook likewise receivable in said socket, said escutcheon plate being formed with a flange engageable against the inner face of the other flange of each of said posts, and further being formed, adjacent its upper end, with a rebent portion adapted to receive the other flange of said cross member, and an arm rest provided on its under surface with a laterally grooved channel, said arm rest being slidably engageable on said cross member with the grooves of said channel receiving said rebent portions of said plates to clamp said plate ends to said cross member.

7. A theater chair comprising a pair of independent standards each having a flange and a socket, a seat unit, a member connected to the seat unit having a hook received in the socket for supporting the seat unit and a channel-receiving the flange, and means engaged with the standard and the channel of the member for preventing disengagement of the seat unit and the standard.

8. A theater chair comprising a pair of independent standards each having a flange in its upper portion and a socket in its intermediate portion, a seat unit, a pair of members each connected to a side of the seat unit having a hook received in one of the sockets for supporting the seat unit and a channel receiving one of the flanges, and means engaged with each standard and the cooperating channel of the member for which the means for preventing disengagement of the seat unit and the standard is an arm rest longitudinally slidable over the associated flange and channel, the arm rest being provided with a latch for securing it in engagement with the standard and the member.

12. A theater chair comp-rising a pair of independent standards each having a socket, a seat unit including a pair of members one connected at each side of the seat and each provided with a hook received in one of the sockets for supporting the seat unit, each standard and the member having the hook received in the socket of said standard being, Aassociated. together at points spaced from the region of the socket and hook, and means cooperating with the associated parts of the standard and member for preventing relative movement thereof.

13. The combination with a series of independently positioned individual standards, each provided With a pair oi -spaced apart parallel transverse members forming an upwardly facing socket, of a plurality of seat units, each provided on each opposite side with a member pivoted to the seat having a downwardly facing hook of a length substantially equal to the length of the socket, each of said seat units being received between a pair of said standards with the hooks of its members engaged in the standard sockets, and each of said sockets receiving the hook of a member of each of two adjacent seat units.

14. The combination claimed in claim 13, in which each standard is provided with a horizontal upper cross member, and the upper edge of each seat side member is secured to one of the 'upper standard cross members.

l5.` The combination claimed in claim 13, in which each standard is provided with a horizontal upper cross member, the upper edge of each seat -side member is associated with one of the upper vstandard cross members, and which includes an arm rest mounted on and securing together the said upper edge and cross member.-

16. The combination claimed in claim 13, in which each standard is provided with a horizontal upper cross member, the upper edge of each seat side member is associated with one of the upper standard cross members, and which includes an arm rest mounted on and securing together the upper standard cross member and the upper edges of a pair of seat side members.

17. A theater chair as claimed in claim 12, which includes an arm rest and in which the means for preventing relative movement is carried by the arm rest.

18. A theater chair as claimed in claim 12, in which the last named means is an arm rest having a channel element on its lower side receiving and holding together the upper edges of the standard .and the associated member.

19. The invention claimed in claim 12, including a plurality of pairs of standards, the upper edge of each of which is associated with the upper edges of two seat side members, one on each side of the standard.

20. A theater chair assembly comprising a plurality of standards arranged in a row, each standard having a socket and the upper edge of each standard being flanged on each side, a plurality of seat units, each including a pair of members one connected at each side of the seat and each provided with a hook received in one of the sockets for supporting the seat unit, the upper edges of the side members of adjacent seats being channeled and receiving the flanged upper edge of a standard between them, and means received over each assembly of side members and a standard securing the side members and standard together.

21. The invention claimed in claim 20, which includes a plurality of arm rests, and in which the means securing each assembly of side members and standard together is carried by an arm rest.

22. A theater chair comprising a pair of independent standards, and a seat unit, said seat unit comprising a pair of side plates, a bar extending between said plates and a seat hinged on said bar, an upwardly facing socket formed in each of said standards, and a downwardlyfacing hook carried by each of said side plates, said hooks being receivable in said sockets.

23. A theater chair comprising a pair of independent standards, a seat unit including a pair of side plates each provided with a stretcher rod pocket, a stretcher rod extending from the rod pocket of one side plate to the rod pocket of the other side plate, abutments on the opposite ends of said rod and received in said pockets, one of said abutments being adjustable on said rod, and said abutments having a limited freedom of movement in said sockets whereby said plates may be angularly adjusted with respect to each other, interengaging means on said side plates and on said standards whereby said seat unit may be supported on said standards, and means engageable with said side plates and with said standards for preventing separation of said interengaging means.

24. In combination, a standard comprising a pair of upright posts, each provided with oppositely extending lateral anges, a top cross member extending between said posts and provided with oppositely extending lateral flanges. and a stretcher extending between said posts intermediate the ends thereof and providing an upwardly facing socket, a seat unit comprising a side plate provided with a downwardly facing hook receivable in said socket and formed, adjacent its upper end, with a rebent portion adapted to receive one flange of said cross member, an escutcheon plate provided with a downwardly facing hook likewise receivable in said socket and formed, adjacent its upper end, with a rebent portion adapted to receive the other flange of said cross member, and an arm rest provided on its under surface with a laterally grooved channel, said arm rest being slidably engageable on said cross member with the grooves of said channel receiving said rebent portions of said plates to clamp said plate ends to said cross member.

IRL. R. BROMAGEM. 

